


As You Are

by notaliteraltoad



Series: Be Mine (Fallout Soulmate AU) [3]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, Mild Sexual Content, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 01:07:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15961442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notaliteraltoad/pseuds/notaliteraltoad
Summary: Nora was shocked to discover her soulmate used to be a member of the Institute. More shocking is the fact that he's a super mutant - although that definitely has its perks.





	As You Are

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads up that if any of you are looking for proper smut, you won't find it here :P This is about as explicit as I get, as both ace and someone who prefers pure fluff. I'd really appreciate some nice comments and constructive criticism, since this was my first attempt at anything of the sort <3

The wind whirled above, battering against Nora's back and pushing her ever forward. With her head bowed against the wind, vision obscured by the thick plating of her hazmat suit, the world was just a haze of endless barren wasteland. Her Geiger counter ticked worryingly on her wrist but the sound was lost to the storm surrounding her.

Across the endless stretch of desert glowing radscorpions circled a towering deathclaw as if they somehow believed they could win. With one sweep of its enormous claws the deathclaw swept up three scorpions and tossed them aside as if they didn't weigh a thing. They landed meters away with a wet  _crunch._

Swallowing down the urge to vomit, Nora turned from the sight. The last thing she wanted was to be the deathclaw's next victim. A dull, sick feeling settled in her stomach as she carried on, legs aching. How long had it been since she had allowed herself a break? Too long - but in the Glowing Sea, pausing meant death.

Her foot caught a pile of debris, laces tangled around the ruined pile of  _whatever -_ and suddenly Nora felt herself tumble, legs crumpling beneath her. Her stomach rolled as she braced herself against the ground, threatening to bring up her measly excuse for a breakfast - but she  _wasn't_ going to be sick, wasn't going to  _let_ herself.

When she climbed back to her feet, groaning at the ache in her legs that  _wouldn't stop,_ her eyes caught sight of the hollow cave entrance. It was almost  _right_ in front of her but through the heavy, irradiated fog and dust it could have been miles. 

But she was  _there._

In the distance the deathclaw roared, shaking the ground where Nora stood. Flinching she picked up the pace until she was almost  _sprinting_ to the cave entrance on slender legs that still weren't used to the Commonwealth's hardships.

Nora barely hit the entrance before she tore the hazmat helmet from her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulders - and collapsed into a heap on the rocky ground. She sat there gasping for breath, lungs burning - but when she heard movement deeper in the cave she froze.

Brian Virgil. The man they needed to find the Institute; and her  _soulmate_. How long had she waited for this? Yet now it was here her body refused to move from her spot on the ground, brain a hazy fog of  _what ifs._ What if he didn't like her? What if  _she_ didn't like  _him?_ What if he didn't want his soulmate to be some dirty vaultie-come-wastelander?

Beside her the turrets buzzed, detecting no threat from her small form. At least she wasn't going to die just before meeting him. Actually no, that might have saved her the stress.  _God,_ she was a mess.

Leaving her helmet on the ground Nora heaved herself to her feet using sluggish arms. The hazmat suit weighed her down so she zipped it open and shrugged her slim arms from the baggy sleeves. It almost looked cute tied around her waist, showing off the slim curves underneath her grey tank top.

Now she just had to go say hello. Her legs wobbled but she paid it no mind - she would have time for a Rad Away later. Right now, there were bigger worries.

"Hello?" she called, feet padding quietly on the uneven ground, "I'm here to see Brian Virgil? If anyone's even here. I could have sworn I heard someone..." With a steadying hand against the damp cave wall Nora turned a corner - and then her mind shut down.

There, sitting on a far too small office chair and surrounded by ancient scientific equipment Nora had no name for, was a  _super mutant._

"I, uh,  _hi_. Virgil?" Her brain didn't want to form words, but her lips were incapable of speaking them anyway. She stood there with wide eyes and  _yes,_ she knew she looked like an idiot, but she was helpless to stop it.

The super mutant turned, and Nora got the perfect view of his face. Leathery green skin pulled over sharp cheekbones and a broad jaw, deep set eyes behind glasses almost comically small. Were they  _taped_ to him?

Absurdly a laugh bubbled in the back of her throat - but it came out as a strained gasp instead.

"Who are you?" he demanded in a voice so deep it sent shivers down Nora's spine. 

"I uh," Nora stuttered, mind going blank, "I heard you escaped the Institute and could help me do the opposite. I want to get  _in._ You... you  _are_ Virgil, right?"

"I am." His voice rumbled, deep and gruff in a way that made Nora's whole body tingle.

So that only meant one thing - that this huge, hulking super mutant was her soulmate. As her gaze roved across his enormous shoulders and trailed down his broad torso, Nora decided maybe that wasn't so bad. "Good," she replied, and her voice was barely a breathy whisper, "because if you weren't, this would have been awkward."

"Awkward?" His face scrunched, forehead creasing but super mutants just weren' ast expressive as humans. Even so his dark eyes sucked her in and when he pursed his lips all she could think is  _what would it be like to kiss a mutant?_

Nora's anxiety rose like the tide as those gorgeous eyes stared her down - and for a moment she forgot that she was supposed to  _answer._ It was now or never. "I'm Nora Carver."

Virgil's thick hand raced to his arm, where his twisted and stretched soulmark curled along his wrist. "Nora Carver," he repeated in that deliciously gruff voice, "you mean...?"

"Yeah." The word left her like a whisper, so quiet she didn't even know if he had heard. When she gazed up at him with wide hazel eyes it took every ounce of self restraint not to close the gap between them.

If being with her soulmate was going to feel like this all the time, Nora was never going to leave his side.

He raised one massive hand and Nora couldn't take her eyes off of him, eagerly drinking up his every movement. For a moment she thought he was going to beckon her closer - but he only adjusted the thick strap keeping his old Institute uniform together. It was a miracle it was still intact, even as shabby as it was. It  _definitely_ looked good though, hugged tight against taught muscles and straining against biceps bigger than her waist.

"...soulmate."

"Huh?" Nora snapped from her thoughts, a dark flush blooming across her face. She was silently thankful for her naturally ruddy skin. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."

Virgil's gaze dipped as he turned away. His hands looked too big, too clumsy as he plucked a fragile test tube from the pile on the desk - but he handled them with the expert precision of someone long used to their too-large limbs. "I said," he rumbled, "that I don't appreciate staring. Even if the person in question is my soulmate."

"Oh." This was  _not_ the first meeting she had hoped for. Where was the romance, the desire to get to know each other? Did he not want this? Doubt settled deep in her gut and Nora sighed. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting  _this._  Not that I'm complaining." When Virgil turned a questioning look her way she couldn't help the way her gaze lingered on his lips.

"I know I'm not what you were expecting," he lamented. He stretched out his arm, so impossibly broad, and Nora swept her eyes across him without knowing what she was supposed to be looking at. "It's why I did this. I know no one is going to want me now that I'm... this." 

His arm dropped dejectedly and Nora almost missed what she was supposed to see, but his soulmark glinted in the dull light as it disappeared from view. Now she knew why it was so malformed; Virgil had destroyed his own soulmark so the name -  _her name -_ was nothing more than a black mark amongst a forest of scars.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and she reached for him without thinking, hands so tiny as they gripped his shoulder. "Oh Virgil," she breathed, "you really think I care that you're a super mutant? I'm just happy that I've finally found you." She reached up, arching her feet so she wobbled on her toes, and cupped his cheek in her hands. His skin was thick and dry, nothing like human skin but she sighed as he leaned into her touch. 

Despite the warmth in those dark eyes, despite the way he leaned into her, doubt clouded his features. "I understand if you don't want this," he spoke, and his voice didn't boom like it did before, "If I was in your position, I wouldn't enjoy this either."

Nora's free hand dropped to his, gently entwining their fingers. He didn't try to pull away, but Nora felt the strength lurking under the surface. "I'm not some fragile doll about to break," she told him with a gentle smile, "it's all right. Unless  _you_ don't want this." For the first time doubt crept into her voice and she let her hand slip from his face. "I'm sorry."

"No," Virgil's voice was rough but so  _warm,_ and for a moment Nora couldn't think about anything else. "I do want this - of course I do. Perhaps, if you make it into the Institute, you could find the cure I synthesised for FEV."

She was filled with warmth, so much it was almost  _unbearable._ "That's a fair way in the future. Let's focus on  _now._ Besides," she whispered, hand squeezing his, "I like you just as you are. Turns out big and green is kind of nice." 

He squeezed back, so careful she barely felt it - he was being so  _gentle,_ more so than she had seen in anyone, much less a super mutant. But right now she wanted something _else._

His eyes flickered up to meet hers and they were wide with wonder. When he spoke his voice was husky and low and it sounded  _gorgeous._ "You really think this can work?"

"Why don't we try and see?" Nora quirked a thick brow and pressed herself firmly against his vast chest. She sank into him, soft skin against solid muscle, and it sent ripples down her spine.

Virgil's breath tickled as he let out a shaky sigh that sounded more like a  _growl,_ and that was all the permission Nora needed. 

She wrapped her arms around his waist and  _damn,_ her arms didn't even make it half way around his expanse of muscle. With a low groan of her own she pressed a kiss against his marred lips, gentle but eager as she wiggled closer, breasts pressing against his hard muscle.

An enormous hand settled on her waist and Nora realised he could have wrapped just one hand around her entire middle. She pressed her hip into his hand and he groaned into the kiss and his mouth opened, teeth bumping against Nora's lips. His chest heaved against hers, deep breaths that rocked her entire body. Her nails dug into the tough skin of his waist and his breathing hitched.

Nora tilted her head back, eyes slipping closed - then their noses bumped and she broke away with a laugh bubbling in her throat. "Sorry," she managed between giggles, "it's been a while since I've done this. Suppose I'm out of practice."

Virgil regarded her with such  _warmth_ it almost left her breathless. When he spoke there was a smile in his rough voice, and a lingering shyness. "Don't worry about it. I'm out of practice too - and I didn't expect to have the chance to do this, not anymore." Doubt seeped into his voice, his eyes darting from Nora's face.

A smile curled at the corner of her lips as she leaned up to peck a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Hey, I'm here aren't I? And I don't plan on leaving." He was so damn  _tall,_ and standing on her toes was beginning to hurt - so she turned to clear a small space on the cluttered desk, lifting herself onto it with ease. Then she beckoned him closer, still smiling, and wrapped slender arms around his thick neck. "Want to give it another go?"

He regarded her warily, as if she was nothing more than a hallucination about to disappear at any second. Then that gorgeous smile crept back onto his face as he looped a muscular arm around her waist. " _God_ yes," he replied, and the hunger in his eyes was so  _obvious,_ so unrestrained, that for a moment Nora was lost for words.

Then her lips met his once more. His lips were rough and chapped as they pressed against hers, but Virgil was careful as he leaned in close, hard muscles pushing against Nora's stomach.

With his hands planted firmly on either side of her, Nora felt the heat from his skin, warmth spreading along her arms as her heart thudded in her chest. A groan left her throat as she hooked a leg around his, tilting her head back to nibble his lower lip. She was practically  _climbing_ him - and  _God_ it felt amazing. 

Virgil murmured something against her lips but it was impossible to know what he said. As her hand travelled down, thin fingers toying with the hem of his shirt, she whispered, "I didn't quite catch that." 

They parted, Virgil's breathless laugh like music to her ears.  "I think," he spoke, and his voice was raspy and beautifully deep, "this works just fine."

Nora just hummed in response, and a radiant smile stretched across her face as she dipped down to brush her lips across his neck. He shivered and Nora just grinned. "Well  _I_ think," she replied, sprinkling feather light kisses along his collar bone, "that we should continue this  _somewhere else._ "

"E-excuse me?" Virgil's voice was  _gravel ,_ his breath warm against her throat.

"You heard," came Nora's quick response. She brushed a fleeting kiss across his mouth, teeth barely grazing against his lower lip and he  _melted_ into her.  _God,_ this was driving her crazy. A quick sweep of the room -  _cave -_ revealed a makeshift bed nestled in a lower pit. It was little more than a mess of mattresses and well worn pillows on a reinforced platform but Nora didn't give a damn. She needed this  _now,_ on whatever surface available.

Virgil didn't protest as she gripped the edges of his torn shirt, warm hands sliding up to rove across the taught muscle of his stomach. "Bed.  _Now,"_ he growled in a voice so deep, so raspy, that it almost wasn't human and it sent another wave of ripples right through her. Then in one fluid motion he scooped her up as if she weighed no more than a doll. 

Nora shrieked as her legs left the ground, slender arms reaching to loop around Virgil's broad neck. Her hands scrabbled for purchase, his body just too  _huge_ to find proper grip; but then she wrapped her legs around his torso and he carried her, ever so gently, to the bed.

When he settled her carefully down on the mattress a massive hand cupped her cheek with care she didn't know a super mutant could possess. Even crouched over her he was  _massive;_ looming over her slender body and blocking out the light. Even as shadows danced across his face he looked  _stunning_  and Nora's chest fluttered.

Nora reached up a tiny hand, brushing it across his neck. It trailed down his shoulders, finding purchase on his tattered shirt and she tugged it gently. "Come on babe, are we going to do this or what?"

His smile faltered, hand retreating from her cheek. Those handsome features scrunched with concern and for a moment Nora wondered if she had said something wrong. "Are you sure about this?" His voice was husky, rough with desire - but his eyes were guarded.

Nora wriggled beneath him. His thighs pressed against her hips and it was  _impossible_ not to notice just how frail she looked by comparison. "I'm sure." Her voice is little more than a breathless sigh.

"Are you certain? I don't wish to-"

"Virgil," she states as she reached out to press a hand to his chest, fingers curling below the neckline of his t-shirt, "I want to.  _So much._ But we go at your pace, okay?"

"Okay."

Then he pressed a needy kiss to her mouth, a low groan rumbling through his chest as he leaned over her. One thick green hand gripped her waist, gentle but firm, thumb sliding above her dirty tank top. Nora knew she was still wearing her hazmat suit, the torso tied around her waist, but at that moment all she wanted was to undress  _him._ She let out a moan as his tongue swiped across her lower lip, her abdomen flooding with warmth at his touch. Eyes slipping closed, Nora let her hands dance across his torso. "Shirt off please," she managed to mutter against his lips.

Virgil's thighs squeezed her hips as he straightened out, thick hands grasping his shirt and tugging it over his head. It landed somewhere behind them in a puddle of forgotten fabric.

Nora swallowed up the sight of him. Mottled green skin covered in faded scars, stretched over bulging muscles unlike anything a human could even  _hope_ to achieve. His bulk towered above her and Nora was reminded that he was still a  _super mutant,_ still capable of ripping her apart if he felt like it. Why did that thought make her spine tingle? Tiny hands ran along his torso and she revelled in just how _firm_ he was. Not an inch of give to his skin; just a wall of muscle.

As Virgil hunched down he planted huge hands on either side of her head and suddenly her vision was filled with  _green._ She couldn't see anything but him. " _Shit,_ " Nora groaned as he leaned ever closer, hovering just above, "you're  _huge._ I'm not complaining but  _damn,_ Virgil."

He might have blushed, cheeks turning a muddy sort of green - but Nora didn't pause to wonder. She leaned up, but Virgil's height made reaching difficult as she peppered kisses along his chest. His skin was so warm, almost  _hot -_ probably the radiation, her mind reasoned - but it only made her want this more. 

When she tilted her head back to place a tiny kiss to the corner of his lips, Virgil placed one hand against her stomach and carefully pushed her back down. Even with such soft movements it was impossible to miss the raw  _strength_ in those powerful hands. He could probably snap her in a second.  _Fuck,_ she would let him.

Then Virgil dipped low, lips close but not quite touching. He was  _teasing_ now and they both knew it.

"Just kiss me already," Nora complained, voice thick. 

"In a minute," he replied with a quick grin that lit up his entire face, "first, let's get rid of these extra layers." His touch was light as he swiped a thumb across her stomach; almost as if he was afraid to touch her. But his grin was bright and his eyes warm as he slid a hand under her, easily tugging the tank top over her head. It joined his Institute uniform in the dark corner behind them.

Bras were a commodity in the wasteland, and Nora was silently thankful she had chosen to wear her favourite. Pre-war, frilly but not gaudy, it was a rare thing indeed. 

Virgil let out a groan of approval as his hands ghosted over her breasts. 

"Like what you see?" Nora teased, one hand splayed across her chest, "I wore it specially to come see you."

"Dressing all nice to meet your soulmate? I approve." 

Heavy hands palmed her breasts and Nora swallowed down a strangled grunt of pleasure. Her chest was heaving, breaths raspy as she took his chin in her hands and brought his mouth to hers. As his tongue slipped inside her mouth, Nora decided she was  _never_ going to get enough of this. She met him with equal eagerness, lips hungry for more, a shuddering breath leaving her lips as Virgil pressed her into the mattress.

Her hands moved without thinking, thumbs toying with the waistband of his uniform. It clung deliciously to his hips, fabric stretched tight around his ass - this uniform was build for a human, not a super mutant three times as wide. 

Virgil's hand left her and Nora's heart dropped. Had she done something wrong? But then his hands were over hers, slowly prying them free of their grip on his trousers. "You first," he whispered in her ears, voice rough.

Nora wriggled underneath him, a pout forming on her lips. "Babe,  _really?_ " Her hands itched to undress him, to see all of him as he really was - but Virgil's hands were firm.

"You first," he growled in response, his hands already fumbling with the knot in her hazmat suit. His hands were too big, too clumsy for the more delicate tasks but Nora watched in amazement as those hands worked. 

 _Christ,_ he was something else. More warmth pooled in her abdomen and she shifted with a barely restrained whimper.

"Patience," Virgil chided, dipping low to press a warm kiss to her lips. Soon the hazmat sleeves dropped from her waist and Virgil hurriedly pulled it down, the thick plastic-like fabric slipping from Nora's hips. 

She kicked off her shoes, lifting herself from the mattress to shimmy out of the lower half. Virgil's hand rested lightly on her back, supporting her entire weight with just one arm. As soon as she was free of the stupid suit Nora was on him again, small hands roving across his body. They trailed along his solid torso, travelling down to his waist until they dipped just below the tight waistband, brushing against his hip.

Virgil's eyes widened as he drank her in, gaze travelling along her body like he had never even seen a woman before. They lingered on her thighs - which were a little wide for her otherwise stick-like frame - before moving back to her face. "You're  _gorgeous."_ His voice,  _God_ his voice - was huskier than she had heard it yet.

His words made her body prickle, face flushing scarlet but  _God,_ the way he said it... She let out a little groan as she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back down. "Let's try something new," she whispered in his ear, breath tickling, "I want to be on top."

Virgil didn't need telling twice. "Anything you want," he replied huskily - and then he lifted her effortlessly, lips crushing hers for one too brief moment before he sank into the mattress below her.

She tried to straddle him, legs spread wide to accommodate for his incredibly wide torso. She felt like she was attempting the  _splits,_ her thighs stretched across him. She grunted, trying to ignore how damn  _hot_ it was as she gently lowered herself onto his torso. If he was this huge, how enormous was his  _dick?_ Nora shivered.

"What's wrong?" Virgil gazed up at her, brows creased in concern. Although his chest was heaving, hands itching to touch her again, he lay still. A super mutant who was also a gentleman; who'd have thought?

Nora just shook her head, leaning close to cup the side of his face. "Nothing." It  _hurt_ as she bent down, legs spread even further, but she kissed the side of his jaw, trailed them down his neck, and Virgil's strained moan was worth it all. "Now," she continued peppering kisses, revelling in how his skin felt against her lips, "how should we do this?"

Virgil couldn't keep his hands off her, one massive paw slipping underneath her bra to fondle the soft skin underneath. "I don't know," he admitted, voice deep and distracted as his hands travelled further up, "I've never... I haven't done this since before the FEV."

"So this is a first for us both. I-" Nora grunted as Virgil's gentle fingers skimmed her nipple.

"What?" There was laughter in his voice, though it was muffled by his own barely contained sounds of desire.

Nora simply rolled her eyes, leaning over to ghost a kiss across his lips. He replied by catching her jaw with one hand, planting a much firmer kiss of his own to her mouth, teasing her lips apart to slip his tongue inside. Nora replied in kind, tongue skimming across his as she shimmied further up his lap, softness of her thighs squeezing his hips.

Clumsy hands reached up to the clasp of her bra, struggling with the delicate lace. He muttered a quiet " _shit,_ " against her lips as his hands slipped from the clasps - but Nora arched her back, grinding into him, and reached back to unhook the bra herself. It fell away from her perky breasts, dropping to the floor at their side. "Better?" she asked with a grin.

Just one of his enormous hands was enough to swallow her breast - and then some - but he was mindful of her delicate human skin as he cupped her, skin almost  _hot_. When he squeezed, as careful as he was, Nora groaned and arched into his touch.

Her own hands were all over him, kneading his rock hard muscle, caressing every inch of him. His skin was so unlike her own, rough and pockmarked, but it felt  _amazing._

When Virgil's nails raked across the soft skin of her back it sent pins and needles down her spin. Nora grunted, back arching into him. Her own hands mimicked his act, gripping his arm with tiny hands and  _dragging_ them across his hard skin. It left thin red lines across his green skin and Nora smirked. 

"You like that?" Virgil asked, voice rugged.

"Definitely." Nora's own voice was breathy, strained, "do it again." Her voice came out stronger, almost a  _demand_ but at that moment she didn't care. 

Anyway, Virgil didn't seem to mind as a delighted grin spread across his face, hips writhing underneath her. She felt the pressure of his heavy hand against her back, nails digging into the soft skin and  _oh,_ the heat as he dug his short nails into her shoulder blades and  _tore_ them across her back. A strangled cry burst from her lips as her thighs clenched, hands curling into tight fists. 

She was almost lying right across him, knees planted on either side of his hips but barely clinging on, thighs clenched to keep her balance. This was going to take practice - and she planned on having  _plenty_ of it.

When Nora dipped down, hands trailing down his hip, her fingers curled beneath his waisitband once more and Virgil  _growled,_ so deep and rough suddenly he seemed more super mutant than human. Nora paused, luscious smile spreading across her red lips. " _Someone's_ enjoying himself." Tiny hands tugged at his trousers, easing them over well built hips.

Virgil's hand was firm as he grabbed her wrists - a little  _too_ strong, but Nora only hummed in appreciation. He didn't strike her as the type to like it rough, but it could be  _fun._ Her eyes flickered up, teasing quip on the tip of her tongue - but when her eyes locked with Virgil's he wasn't keening with desire. There was something darker,  _untamed._ Although she squirmed in anticipation, she couldn't deny the darkness of his eyes made her stomach roll.

Her hands twisted gently in his grip and she expected him to resist - but he dropped her hands as if burned. "I'm sorry," he apologised, his face flushing deep scarlet underneath the green, "I didn't mean to... sometimes it's difficult to control the mutant side of me." Thick legs slid out from underneath Nora as he climbed awkwardly to his feet. He refused to meet her eyes, gaze downcast as he collected his clothes from the pile in the corner.

Just like that, the magic was shattered.

Nora shivered. Without his body heat the cave was icy cold, though that wasn't the only reason she felt bare. "It's all right you know," she stated kindly and a hand reached out despite knowing he was to far away to touch. How was she supposed to comfort someone who's situation was so  _impossible_ to imagine?

She watched as Virgil tugged his t-shirt over his head, concrete muscles straining the material already stretched too thin. He didn't reply, but seemed to withdraw into himself. Never had a man so immense looked so  _small._

Nora climbed to her feet, and she was suddenly all too aware of the fact she was standing there half naked. She reached for her bra, hastily wrestling with the lacy material before coming to stand by Virgil's side. A hand to his shoulder and a reassuring smile wasn't much to offer, but she was encouraged by the hesitant smile playing on his scarred lips.

"I apologise for ruining our good time," he said quietly, "but I believe it was too much too fast."

Pressing a soothing kiss to his shoulder, Nora replied, "I get it, really. I uh, I'm not usually one to jump someone like that. I guess this soulbond is the real deal, huh?" Another smile curled at her lips, a hand brushing delicately across his back. "We can go slow - as slow as you like. Even if that means staying away from the intimate stuff entirely."

The look Virgil cast her was difficult to understand. His face, although one she had been admiring constantly, wasn't as expressive as the likes of say MacCready or Piper. Even so, those wide eyes and nervous smile made her feel giddy. "Are you sure you still want this?"

Indignation rose in Nora's chest but she forced it down with a sigh. "Of course. Even if we  _weren't_ soulmates, I wouldn't ditch you because of one little slip up. We all have them from time to time." She stretched up onto her toes to plant a firm kiss to his lips, before peppering more along his jaw. "Like I said earlier - we go at your pace."

As Nora rocked back on her heels, Virgil caught her lips in his. He was still warm,  _impossibly_ so in the freezing cave, and Nora sank into him without prompting. "Good," he replied with a deep, rumbling laugh, "because I would have hated to scare you off on our first meeting."

Virgil's hand rubbed slow circles on her back, so gentle his touch was barely there. All traces of the super mutant were gone -  _though_ , Nora thought,  _it was something to file away for later_. If done right,  _that_ could be very interesting.

Nora's chest felt light, whole body buzzing in a way she had  _never_ experienced before. This whole situation was so absurd she never would have believed it - yet here she was, perfectly content in the arms of a super mutant, miles deep within the Glowing Sea.

"I know we need to discuss the whole Institute thing," Nora stated, but her words were cut with a yawn hidden by her hand, "but I'm shattered. How about we do this tomorrow?"

"Of course. You may have the bed of course. I'll-"

"Virgil, you dummy," Nora laughed, a light and musical sound, "it's a pile of like, four mattresses. There's room to share."

"Are you sure you want to?"

" _Yes,_ jeez." Her hand slid down to hold his - and  _fuck,_ she was never going to get over the sheer size of him - and gently guided him back to the makeshift sleeping area. She settled down, exhaustion suddenly taking over as soon as her head hit the mattress.

When Virgil settled down beside her he looped an arm around her waist - a comforting, warm reminder that he was  _here._

Smiling to herself Nora tucked into his side, entire body nestling into the curve of his torso. "G'night babe," she whispered, smile teasing at the corner of her lips.  
  
"Goodnight, Nora."

**Author's Note:**

> Don't judge me :P


End file.
